Remote control electric plug



June 26, 1956 F. J. CARGILL 2,752,582

REMOTE CONTROL ELECTRIC PLUG Filed May 24, 1955 Fig./

Appliance X Appliance 66 r- E v L&: l a

FranK J. Corgi/l INVEN TOR.

United States Patent 015cc REMOTE CONTROL ELECTRIC PLUG Frank J. Cargill, Plainville, Conn.

Application May 24, 1955, Serial No. 510,775 2 Claims. (Cl. 339-155) This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to a novel plug type connector for use in connection of various appliances in a series connection so that these appliances may be controlled through the operation of a single switch.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of an electrical connector of generally conventional outlet appearance which enables an electrical appliance or the like to be connected thereto so as to enable a switch remote from the electrical appliance and from the plug to be utilized in controlling a supply of electrical power to the electrical appliance.

The construction of this invention features an electrically insulative housing having pairs of spaced apertures therethrough and having a pair of prongs extending outwardly therefrom having contact members associated therewith and positioned adjacent one of each of the pairs of apertures. A series connecting element having a pair of contacts thereon is mounted in the walls of the housing and has the contacts positioned adjacent the other of the apertures of the pairs of apertures whereby the series connecting element forms a series connection between the contact members and hence between the prongs.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a remote control electric plug that is simple in construction, highly efficient in operation, and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, thereby permitting wide use and distribution.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this electric plug, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the electric connector comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the remote control electric plug;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 3-3 in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating the manner in which the invention may be applied.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral generally designates the electrical connector comprising the present invention. This electric connector 10 includes a housing 12 which may be made of any suitable plastic material, such as Bakelite or the like and which may be made in any number of suitable parts having a center core 14 and being interconnected and held together by means of a bolt 16 or the like passing through the center of the housing 12.

The housing 12 is provided with a pair of apertures 18 and 20 leading into the central cavity 22 thereof, and another pair of apertures 24 and 26 are formed in the walls of the housing 12 normal to the apertures 18 and 20.

2,752,582 fatented June 26, 1956 Extending outwardly from the housing 12 are a pair of prongs 28 and 30 which have connected thereto by means of screws 32 and 34 suitable contact members 36 and 38 which are lockingly held to the prongs 28 and 30, the prongs 28 and 30 being situated in recesses 40 and 42 in the walls of the housing 12.

The contacts 36 and 38 extend through suitable channels 44 and 46 in the side walls of the housing 12, and the contact 48 is positioned adjacent the aperture 18 and is resiliently engageable with a prong, such as the prong 50 insertable into the aperture 18, the contact 48 angularly overlying the entrance to the central cavity 22 of the housing 12 at the opening 18. The contact 52 of the contact member 38 is positioned adjacent the aperture 26. A series connecting element 54 is provided and includes contacts 56 and 58 positioned respectively adjacent the openings or apertures 20 and 24. The series connecting element 54 is positioned in a channel 60 at the corner portion 62 of the housing 12 and extends angularly with respect to the apertures 18 and 20 and 24 and 26.

In use, a plug including the prongs 50 and 64 is positioned into the apertures 18 and 20, the prong being connected through suitable conductors 66 and 68 to an appliance 70. The plug formed by the prongs 28 and 30 is, of course, insertable into an outlet box of conventional construction for connection to a suitable source of electrical current. Another appliance 72 having a switch 74 which may be in the form of a timer or which may be solely a switch is connected through suitable conductors 76 and 78 to prongs 80 and 82 of a plug engageable with the contacts 58 and 52 after insertion into the apertures 24 and 26. In this manner, a series operative electrical circuit is provided controllable by the switch 74 so that the supply of current to the appliance is dependent upon the position of the switch 74. Obviously since the switch 74 may be located remote from the electrical connector 10 and remote from the appliance 70, the electrical connector 10 serves as a remote control electrical plug.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An electric connector comprising a housing having a hollow interior, said housing having electrically insulative walls, said housing having pairs of plug inlet apertures therein, said housing having a channel therein opening only into said hollow interior thereof, said channel extending angularly with respect to said plug inlet apertures, a pair of externally projecting prongs forming a power inlet plug, contact members each connected to said prongs and positioned adjacent an aperture of said pairs of apertures, and a series connecting element having a pair of contacts connected thereto, said contacts being positioned adjacent the other apertures of said pairs of apertures, said pairs of apertures extending normal to each other, said series connecting element being received in said channel in said housing.

2. An electric connector comprising a housing having a hollow interior, said housing having electrically insulative walls, said housing having pairs of plug inlet apertures therein, said pairs of apertures extending normal to each other, said housing including a corner portion having a channel therein opening only into said hollow interior of said housing, said channel extending angularly with respect to said pairs of apertures, a pair of externally projecting prongs forming a power inlet plug, contact References Cited inthe file of this patent memla'ers each connected to said prongs and positioned afi- UNITED STATES PATENTS jacent an aperture of said pairs of apertures, and a series connecting element having a pair of contacts intercongayhss May 1934 V 5 n, renshaw May 13, 1941 nected by a connecting portion, said contacts extending adjacent the other apertures of, said pairs of apertures, FOREIGN PATENTS said connecting portion being received'insaid'channel. 610,608 Great Britain Oct. 19, 1948 

